Principal Material Requirements Planning Analyst

Material Requirements Planning Analyst 3

At Northrop Grumman, our employees have incredible opportunities to work on revolutionary systems that impact people's lives around the world today, and for generations to come. Our pioneering and inventive spirit has enabled us to be at the forefront of many technological advancements in our nation's history - from the first flight across the Atlantic Ocean, to stealth bombers, to landing on the moon. We look for people who have bold new ideas, courage and a pioneering spirit to join forces to invent the future, and have fun along the way. Our culture thrives on intellectual curiosity, cognitive diversity and bringing your whole self to work — and we have an insatiable drive to do what others think is impossible. Our employees are not only part of history, they're making history.

Northrop Grumman Defense Systems is looking for a Material Requirements Planning Analyst 3 to join our team of qualified, diverse individuals within our Advanced Weapons (AW) business unit at located in Woodland Hills, CA. The Material Requirements Planning (MRP) Analyst 3 is a highly experienced supply chain professional responsible for leading MRP activities across complex, high-volume manufacturing or distribution environments. This role serves as the internal subject matter expert for MRP systems and processes, driving improvements in inventory accuracy, supply continuity, and production efficiency.

This position is required to be full-time, on-site in the Woodland Hills, CA location. No remote/telework arrangement is available for this position. Applicants must have the ability to obtain a US Government Secret security clearance.

The MRP Analyst 3 is responsible for ensuring the right parts and materials are available, in the correct quantities, at the right time, and in compliance with defense-specific requirements. The role coordinates closely with engineering, procurement, production, and logistics to drive on-time delivery while minimizing excess inventory and supporting cost-avoidance initiatives.

Key Responsibilities:

• Own and manage the full MRP planning cycle, including net requirements calculation, planned order generation, and exception message resolution.
• Analyze and maintain MRP master data including bill of materials (BOM), item master parameters, lead times, lot sizes, safety stock levels, and reorder points.
• Monitor MRP output daily, prioritize action messages, and coordinate with buyers and schedulers to ensure timely material availability.
• Develop and maintain planning horizons, freeze periods, and MRP run frequencies aligned with business requirements.
• Lead root cause analysis for material shortages, excess inventory, and planning-related production disruptions, implementing corrective actions.

• Serve as a functional power user and primary resource for Deltek Costpoint, managing MRP planning, material control, procurement, and inventory modules.
• Configure and maintain Costpoint MRP parameters including planning codes, order policies, lead times, safety stock, and buyer/planner assignments.
• Execute and manage MRP processing runs within Costpoint, analyze planning exceptions, and coordinate resolution of system-generated action messages.
• Leverage SAP ERP (PP/MM modules) experience where applicable; support system integration, data migration, or dual-environment planning scenarios.
• Collaborate with IT and ERP administrators on system enhancements, patch testing, and implementation of new planning functionality across Costpoint and SAP environments.
• Train and support junior planners on Costpoint MRP transactions, best practices, and system navigation.

• Develop and maintain advanced MS Excel models for demand forecasting, capacity analysis, inventory optimization, and KPI dashboards.
• Build and maintain reports using Costpoint reporting tools and custom queries; experience with SAP is a plus.
• Provide regular and ad hoc reporting to senior leadership on inventory turns, service levels, schedule attainment, and planning accuracy.
• Use data analysis to identify trends, forecast demand variability, and recommend changes to planning parameters.

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Operations Management, Industrial Engineering, Business Administration, or a related field with 5+ years of progressive experience in production planning, materials management, or supply chain operations; or Master's with 3+ years of likewise experience
• Experience with Deltek Costpoint/SAP ERP in a production environment, including MRP, purchasing, and inventory management modules
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills with the ability to interpret large datasets and drive data-informed decisions
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; ability to present complex supply chain data to non-technical stakeholders.
• Ability to obtain US Government Secret security clearance

Preferred Qualifications:

• Active US Government Secret security clearance
• APICS CPIM (Certified in Production and Inventory Management) or CSCP (Certified Supply Chain Professional) certification strongly preferred.
• Advanced Microsoft Office skills, particularly Excel (pivot tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, Power Query, macros/VBA) and PowerPoint for executive presentations.
• Hands-on experience with SAP ERP (PP and/or MM modules) is strongly preferred; SAP
• Experience in high-mix/high-volume discrete or process manufacturing industries.
• Exposure to demand planning tools and statistical forecasting methods.